Astilbe Plant Named &#39;Smile At Me&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Astilbe  plant named ‘Smile At Me’, characterized by its compact and broadly upright plant habit; dark green leaves; freely and uniformly flowering habit; dark pink-colored flowers that are positioned just above the foliar plane on strong reddish brown-colored stems; and good container and garden performance.

Botanical designation: Astilbe arendsii.

Cultivar denomination: ‘SMILE AT ME’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Astilbe, botanically known as Astilbe arendsii and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Smile At Me’.

The new Astilbe plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in 's-Gravenzande, The Netherlands. The objective of the breeding program was to create new uniform and freely flowering Astilbe plants with attractive leaf and flower coloration.

The new Astilbe plant originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in 2010 in 's-Gravenzande, The Netherlands, of two unnamed selections of Astilbe arendsii, not patented. The new Astilbe plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant from within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled greenhouse environment in 's-Gravenzande, The Netherlands in 2012.

Asexual reproduction of the new Astilbe plant by vegetative divisions in a controlled environment in Afferden, The Netherlands since December, 2013 has shown that the unique features of this new Astilbe plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Astilbe have not been observed under all possible combinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Smile At Me’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Smile At Me’ as a new and distinct Astilbe plant:

-   -   1. Compact and broadly upright plant habit.     -   2. Dark green-colored leaves.     -   3. Freely and uniformly flowering habit.     -   4. Dark pink-colored flowers that are positioned just above the         foliar plane on strong reddish brown-colored stems.     -   5. Good container and garden performance.

Plants of the new Astilbe differ primarily from plants of the parent selections in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Astilbe are shorter and more compact than         plants of the parent selections.     -   2. Plants of the new Astilbe are more freely flowering than         plants of the parent selections.

Plants of the new Astilbe can be compared to plants of Astilbe arendsii ‘Gloria’, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Hillegom, The Netherlands, plants of the new Astilbe and ‘Gloria’ differed in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Astilbe were shorter and more compact than         plants of ‘Gloria’.     -   2. Plants of the new Astilbe were bushier and denser than plants         of ‘Gloria’.     -   3. Inflorescences of plants of the new Astilbe were positioned         just above foliar plane whereas inflorescences of plants of         ‘Gloria’ were positioned much higher than the foliar plane.     -   4. Plants of the new Astilbe were more freely flowering than         plants of ‘Gloria’.     -   5. Inflorescences of plants of the new Astilbe and ‘Gloria’         differed in flowering stem color as plants of ‘Gloria’ had         green-colored flowering stems.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Astilbe plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Astilbe plant. The photograph on the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Smile At Me’ grown in a container. The photograph on the second sheet is a close-up view of typical leaflets of ‘Smile At Me’. The photograph on the third sheet is a close-up view of typical inflorescences of ‘Smile At Me’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations, measurements and values describe plants grown in 22-cm containers during the late summer and early autumn in an outdoor nursery in Afferden, The Netherlands and under cultural practices typical of commercial Astilbe production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 14° C. to 32° C. and night temperatures ranged from 6° C. to 18° C. Plants were one year old when the photographs and description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2015 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Astilbe arendsii ‘Smile At Me’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Unnamed Astilbe arendsii seedling             selection, not patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Unnamed Astilbe arendsii seedling             selection, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By divisions.         -   Time to initiate roots.—About three weeks at temperatures             about 20° C.         -   Root description.—Thick, fleshy.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant form and growth habit.—Herbaceous perennial; compact             and broadly upright plant habit with inflorescences held             just above the foliar plane; plant shape broadly triangular;             flowering stems and leaves basal; freely flowering with             numerous basal branches developing per plant; low vigor;             freely and uniformly flowering habit.         -   Growth rate.—Slow-growing; from divisions, about ten months             are required to produce fully-grown flowering plants in             containers.         -   Plant height (soil level to top of foliar plane).—About 22             cm.         -   Plant height (soil level to top of inflorescences).—About 12             cm.         -   Plant width (spread).—About 30.5 cm.         -   Stem description.—Length: About 2 cm. Diameter: About 4 mm.             Strength: Strong, sturdy. Texture: Sparsely pubescent.             Luster: Moderately glossy. Color: Close to N199C. -   Leaf description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Alternate in basal rosettes; biternately             compound; about 9 to 27 leaflets per leaf.         -   Leaf length (excluding petiole).—About 15.4 cm.         -   Leaf width.—About 15.5 cm.         -   Leaflet length.—About 5.2 cm.         -   Leaflet width.—About 2.1 cm.         -   Leaf shape.—Roughly deltoid to broadly ovate in outline.         -   Leaflet shape.—Ovate.         -   Leaflet apex.—Narrowly apiculate.         -   Leaflet base.—Attenuate.         -   Leaflet margin.—Serrate to biserrate.         -   Leaflet texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Moderately             pubescent; rough.         -   Leaflet luster, upper surface.—Glossy.         -   Leaflet luster, lower surface.—Somewhat glossy.         -   Leaflet venation pattern.—Pinnate.         -   Leaflet color.—Developing leaflets, upper surface: Close to             146A tinged with close to 183B. Developing leaflets, lower             surface: Close to 199A; venation, close to 187C. Fully             expanded leaflets, upper surface: Slightly darker than             between NN137B and 147A; venation, close to 148A. Fully             expanded leaflets, lower surface: Close to 147B; venation,             close to 176B to 176C.         -   Leaf petiole length.—About 4.5 cm.         -   Leaf petiole diameter.—About 2 mm.         -   Leaflet petiole length.—About 8 mm.         -   Leaflet petiole width.—About 1 mm.         -   Leaf and leaflet petiole texture, upper and lower             surfaces.—Smooth, glabrous.         -   Leaf and leaflet petiole color, upper and lower             surfaces.—Close to 187B. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower type and flowering habit.—Single rotate flowers             arranged on terminal panicles; flowers face upright,             outwardly or drooping depending on position on the             inflorescence; panicles broadly conical in shape; freely and             uniformly flowering habit with about 2,500 flowers             developing per inflorescence.         -   Fragrance.—Faint; sweet, pleasant.         -   Natural flowering season.—Plants begin flowering about ten             months after planting; continuously flowering from early to             late summer in The Netherlands.         -   Postproduction longevity.—Flowers last about ten days on the             plant; flowers persistent.         -   Flower buds.—Height: About 2 mm. Diameter: About 1.5 mm.             Shape: Elliptic. Color: Close to 59D.         -   Inflorescence height.—About 24.5 cm.         -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 17.7 cm.         -   Flower diameter.—About 6 mm.         -   Flower depth.—About 4 mm.         -   Petals.—Quantity per flower: Typically five in a single             whorl. Length: About 3 mm. Lobe width: About 0.5 mm. Shape:             Oblanceolate. Apex: Acute. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper             and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Luster, upper and             lower surfaces: Dull. Color: Developing petals, upper and             lower surfaces: Close to 70D. Fully expanded petals, upper             and lower surfaces: Close to 73C; color becoming closer to             73D with development.         -   Sepals.—Quantity per flower: Typically five in a single             whorl, fused towards the base; campanulate-shaped calyx.             Length: About 2.5 mm. Width: About 0.8 mm. Shape: Ovate.             Apex: Acute. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower             surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Luster, upper and lower             surfaces: Dull. Color: Developing sepals, upper and lower             surfaces: Close to N66B. Fully expanded sepals, upper             surface: Close to 67D; towards the apex, close to 63A. Fully             expanded sepals, lower surface: Close to 67B; towards the             apex, close to 63A.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 23.6 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm.             Angle: Erect to about 45° from vertical. Strength: Strong.             Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to 174A.         -   Pedicels.—Length: About 2 mm. Diameter: About 0.5 mm. Angle:             About 45° from peduncle axis. Strength: Moderately strong.             Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to 59A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: Typically             ten. Filament length: About 2 mm. Filament color: Close to             70D. Anther shape: Ovate, basifixed. Anther length: About             0.5 mm. Anther color: Close to 186D. Pollen amount: Scarce.             Pollen color: Close to 156D. Pistils: Quantity per flower:             Typically two. Pistil length: About 2 mm. Stigma shape:             Club-shaped. Stigma color: Close to 70D. Style length: About             1.75 mm. Style color: Close to 70C. Ovary color: Close to             70C.         -   Seeds and fruits.—Seed and fruit development have not been             observed on plants of the new Astilbe. -   Disease & pest resistance: Plants of the new Astilbe have not been     noted to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Astilbe     plants. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Astilbe have been observed to     have good garden performance and tolerate rain, wind and high     temperatures of about 35° C. Plants of the new Astilbe have been     observed to be hardy to USDA Hardiness Zone 5. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Astilbe plant named ‘Smile At Me’ as illustrated and described. 